Cooperative Farmer-to-Farmer Energy Trading for Resilient Rural Power Networks

Overview

The energy sector is evolving as decarbonisation, electrification, security of supply, and climate resilience move to the forefront of national and regional priorities. Communities and industry partners increasingly expect collaborative solutions that deliver sustainability, reliability, and shared value. Distributed energy resources (DERs) are now widely recognised as providing multiple benefits to communities and consumers. Coupling DERs with peer-to-peer (P2P) trading empowers prosumers, accelerates renewable deployment, and enhances grid flexibility, thereby benefiting distribution network operators.

The farming sector’s potential to assume a leading role in the energy transition is well established. On-farm flexible energy systems—spanning generation, storage, and electrified appliances and vehicles—are becoming practical and commercially viable options for powering farms and agriculture operations, reducing costs, and supplying surplus electricity to local networks. This potential is amplified by innovative dual-land-use agrivoltaics and floatovoltaics on irrigation ponds, which enable electricity generation alongside normal agricultural activity. Effective use of distribution networks to trade electricity within local, autonomous mini markets offers the prospect of cost reduction, reduced network losses, diversified revenue streams, and increased self-reliance should the transmission system struggle to meet demand or during natural disasters.

This project seeks to realise farmer-to-farmer (F2F) trading in Aotearoa New Zealand by developing the tools required to design and operate local, autonomous mini-markets optimised for agricultural practice, building on prior microgrid research. The tools will be developed and demonstrated through a real-world case study using Waipā Networks’ infrastructure, with the Mystery Creek Event Centre site serving as the cornerstone for a local market.

The events centre is owned by the NZ National Fieldays Society (NZNFS) and hosts NZ National Fieldays each June. The event is the country’s largest agribusiness event, with very high electricity demand concentrated in a single week. It is also a critical civil-defence location, necessitating responsiveness to demand surges and a high degree of self-reliance. Current arrangements expose the site to elevated line charges and resilience risks while limiting its ability to showcase rural electrification and replicable community energy models nationwide.

The project comprises interlinked research objectives:

1. Characterise the DER portfolio for the Fieldays site, including multiple generation options and storage solutions integrated with existing facilities and optimised to maximise export capability.
2. Undertake a downstream-of-the-substation power-system analysis with Waipā Networks to assess the implications of Fieldays’ power export alongside multiple inverter-based generators on local feeders—a key challenge with variable renewable energy. The analysis will identify infrastructure upgrades required to enable reliable bidirectional power flows on the distribution network. Also understand what impact integration of DER near the source of the demand will have in reducing network losses and network build cost.
3. Design an architecture framework for the requisite smart-grid components—IoT devices and communications—and the protocols needed to establish a local mini-market, including integration with existing market offerings.
4. Develop a cloud-based operating platform with aggregator functionality to manage real-time market operations, including demand-side response and optimised dispatch informed by weather forecasts and wholesale price signals.

Value

The scholarship includes an annual tax-free stipend of $35,501 p.a. (paid in fortnightly instalments) plus tuition fees, for three years.

Closing date

19 January 2026

Selection criteria

Please note the Host University for this project is Victoria University of Wellington (with academic supervision from Lincoln University). As such, the student must meet the entry requirements for a doctoral programme at the Host University.

Availability

The Applied Doctorates Scheme invites applications from prospective students—both domestic and international—to be a part of the inaugural cohort. This is a unique opportunity to undertake doctoral study that is deeply embedded in real-world challenges and sector partnerships.

Further information and how to apply

For further information, conditions, and to apply for this project please first read the guidance document, and then complete the application form on the Applied Doctorates Scheme website:

Call for students: Applied Doctorates Scheme